Rolling Stones: 10 reasons why they still matter

By Jim Harrington, San Jose Mercury News

Thursday, May 2, 2013

The Rolling Stones’ 50 and Counting Tour isn’t the legendary band’s farewell to the road.

If it were, don’t you think the band would’ve told us? There’s a monetary value to stamping the words “farewell” or “goodbye” on a concert tour -- just ask Cher, Kiss, the Eagles, Tina Turner and all the other acts that have cashed in on the farewell trail (even after it became fairly obvious they weren’t really saying goodbye).

As we know, the Stones like money. They really like money. That much was made clear by this tour’s ticket prices, which reach as high as $2,000 for a VIP seat.

If the Stones had intended this to be their final go-round, they would’ve advertised it on billboards and reaped the corresponding financial rewards. I believe they realized that marking the band’s 50th anniversary, which actually occurred in 2012, was enough of a push for fans to buy tickets and wisely decided to save the farewell jaunt for next time.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I fully expect the Stones to tour in a few years. It might even be sooner than that, if the group adds another leg (perhaps of stadium shows) to the current 50 and Counting Tour.

So drop the “last chance” rationale for catching the upcoming Stones shows. There are, however, many other reasons why it’s worth grabbing a ticket -- even at the enormous prices -- for one of the Stones gigs.

The following are the 10 best reasons to see the Stones:

1 Classic rock royalty: The Stones are easily one of the five most significant classic rock bands of all time -- and the only one that’s still a viable live act. You won’t get a chance to see The Beatles. The Who -- despite the success of the recent “Quadrophenia” tour -- simply isn’t the same without John Entwistle and Keith Moon. And it’s doubtful that the surviving members of Led Zep or Pink Floyd will ever reunite.

2 The songs: The Stones have so many great tunes. I’ll name just 10: “Get Off of My Cloud,” “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It),” “Gimme Shelter,” “Wild Horses,” “Dead Flowers,” “Miss You,” “Honky Tonk Women,” “Midnight Rambler,” “Start Me Up” and “Brown Sugar.” It’s highly likely that you’ll hear all of those songs during the local shows.

3 No new album: For many acts, this might seem like a reason not to tour. But not the Stones, who haven’t made a significant addition to their songbook in some three decades. On the previous tour, the Stones were supporting 2005’s “A Bigger Bang” and forced fans to hear such mediocre new songs as “Rough Justice,” “Infamy” and “This Place Is Empty.” This time around, the Stones don’t have a new studio album to sell -- just the greatest hits package, “GRRR!” -- so the focus should be squarely on the longtime fan favorites.

4 Mick’s the Man: He’ll turn the big 7-0 this summer, yet Jagger remains an amazing physical specimen. He simply doesn’t slow down onstage, exhibiting more energy than most of today’s young rockers. Plus, have you seen his six-pack stomach? He’s sure to bare it proudly during these shows. Jagger is the consummate rock ‘n’ roll frontman.

5 Still bringing the heat: Some were worried that the Stones are too old to be worth seeing in concert. Forget it: The group was magnetic during its televised set at the all-star 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief in December. The Stones also drew rave reviews from fans who watched the band’s recent pay-per-view concert.

6 Big productions: It’s not just about the band or the music. The Stone also always feature incredible stage designs and special effects and have staged some of the most impressive concerts I’ve ever seen -- in terms of sheer production value. The spectacle will be scaled down a bit on this tour, since the band is playing arenas instead of stadiums, but still expect plenty of bang for your buck.

7 Rarities: Since the band has no new material to support, hopefully it will dig deep into its songbook and pull out some old tunes that fans might not have heard live before. It’s a long shot, for sure, but I’d love to hear some stuff from 1967’s trippy “Their Satanic Majesties Request” -- especially “She’s a Rainbow” and “2000 Man.”

8 The other Mick: Guitarist Mick Taylor, a member of the Stones from 1969 to 1974, is on board for this anniversary tour. That’s a huge bonus for fans, who still cherish the work Taylor did on such classics as “Sticky Fingers” and “Exile on Main St.”

9 Devilish guitar: What’s the best moment of just about any Stones concert? It’s got to be the Keith Richards guitar lead on “Sympathy for the Devil.” Taylor’s return to the fold makes the chance to hear this song live even more enticing than usual. Hopefully, Richards and Taylor will take turns soloing, a la the version found on 1970’s “Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! The Rolling Stones in Concert.”

10 The main event: Nobody does a better job at making a concert feel like a true event. The excitement leading up to the Stones going onstage is immense. Then, once they appear, the party is on. You don’t want to miss the party, do you? It’s sure to be one of the best of the year.